hunting the grisly and other sketches-第26章

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was　nearly　noon；　and　we　lunched　in　his　hut；　a　square　building　of　split
logs；　with　bare　earth　floor；　and　roof　of　clap…boards　and　bark。　Our
lunch　consisted　of　goat's　meat　and　/pan　de　mais/。　The　Mexican；　a
broad…chested　man　with　a　stolid　Indian　face；　was　evidently　quite　a
sportsman；　and　had　two　or　three　half…starved　hounds；　besides　the
funny；　hairless　little　house　dogs；　of　which　Mexicans　seem　so　fond。

Having　borrowed　the　javalina　hound　of　which　we　were　in　search；　we　rode
off　in　quest　of　our　game；　the　two　dogs　trotting　gayly　ahead。　The　one
which　had　been　living　at　the　ranch　had　evidently　fared　well；　and　was
very　fat；　the　other　was　little　else　but　skin　and　bone；　but　as　alert
and　knowing　as　any　New　York　street…boy；　with　the　same　air　of
disreputable　capacity。　It　was　this　hound　which　always　did　most　in
finding　the　javalinas　and　bringing　them　to　bay；　his　companion's　chief
use　being　to　make　a　noise　and　lend　the　moral　support　of　his　presence。

We　rode　away　from　the　river　on　the　dry　uplands；　where　the　timber；
though　thick；　was　small；　consisting　almost　exclusively　of　the　thorny
mesquites。　Mixed　among　them　were　prickly　pears；　standing　as　high　as
our　heads　on　horseback；　and　Spanish　bayonets；　looking　in　the　distance
like　small　palms；　and　there　were　many　other　kinds　of　cactus；　all　with
poisonous　thorns。　Two　or　three　times　the　dogs　got　on　an　old　trail　and
rushed　off　giving　tongue；　whereat　we　galloped　madly　after　them；
ducking　and　dodging　through　and　among　the　clusters　of　spine…bearing
tress　and　cactus；　not　without　getting　a　considerable　number　of　thorns
in　our　hands　and　legs。　It　was　very　dry　and　hot。　Where　the　javalinas
live　in　droves　in　the　river　bottoms　they　often　drink　at　the　pools；　but
when　some　distance　from　water　they　seem　to　live　quite　comfortably　on
the　prickly　pear；　slaking　their　thirst　by　eating　its　hard；　juicy
fibre。

At　last；　after　several　false　alarms；　and　gallops　which　led　to　nothing；
when　it　lacked　but　an　hour　of　sundown　we　struck　a　band　of　five　of　the
little　wild　hogs。　They　were　running　off　through　the　mesquites　with　a
peculiar　hopping　or　bounding　motion；　and　we　all；　dogs　and　men；　tore
after　them　instantly。

Peccaries　are　very　fast　for　a　few　hundred　yards；　but　speedily　tire；
lose　their　wind；　and　come　to　bay。　Almost　immediately　one　of　these；　a
sow；　as　it　turned　out；　wheeled　and　charged　at　Moore　as　he　passed；
Moore　never　seeing　her　but　keeping　on　after　another。　The　sow　then
stopped　and　stood　still；　chattering　her　teeth　savagely；　and　I　jumped
off　my　horse　and　dropped　her　dead　with　a　shot　in　the　spine；　over　the
shoulders。　Moore　meanwhile　had　dashed　off　after　his　pig　in　one
direction；　and　killed　the　little　beast　with　a　shot　from　the　saddle
when　it　had　come　to　bay；　turning　and　going　straight　at　him。　Two　of　the
peccaries　got　off；　the　remaining　one；　a　rather　large　boar；　was
followed　by　the　two　dogs；　and　as　soon　as　I　had　killed　the　sow　I　leaped
again　on　my　horse　and　made　after　them；　guided　by　the　yelping　and
baying。　In　less　than　a　quarter　of　a　mile　they　were　on　his　haunches；
and　he　wheeled　and　stood　under　a　bush；　charging　at　them　when　they　came
near　him；　and　once　catching　one；　inflicting　an　ugly　cut。　All　the　while
his　teeth　kept　going　like　castanets；　with　a　rapid　champing　sound。　I
ran　up　close　and　killed　him　by　a　shot　through　the　backbone　where　it
joined　the　neck。　His　tusks　were　fine。

The　few　minutes'　chase　on　horseback　was　great　fun；　and　there　was　a
certain　excitement　in　seeing　the　fierce　little　creatures　come　to　bay；
but　the　true　way　to　kill　these　peccaries　would　be　with　the　spear。　They
could　often　be　speared　on　horseback；　and　where　this　was　impossible；　by
using　dogs　to　bring　them　to　bay　they　could　readily　be　killed　on　foot；
though；　as　they　are　very　active；　absolutely　fearless；　and　inflict　a
most　formidable　bite；　it　would　usually　be　safest　to　have　two　men　go　at
one　together。　Peccaries　are　not　difficult　beasts　to　kill；　because
their　short　wind　and　their　pugnacity　make　them　come　to　bay　before
hounds　so　quickly。　Two　or　three　good　dogs　can　bring　to　a　halt　a　herd
of　considerable　size。　They　then　all　stand　in　a　bunch；　or　else　with
their　sterns　against　a　bank；　chattering　their　teeth　at　their
antagonist。　When　angry　and　at　bay；　they　get　their　legs　close　together；
their　shoulders　high；　and　their　bristles　all　ruffled　and　look　the　very
incarnation　of　anger；　and　they　fight　with　reckless　indifference　to　the
very　last。　Hunters　usually　treat　them　with　a　certain　amount　of
caution；　but；　as　a　matter　of　act；　I　know　of　but　one　case　where　a　man
was　hurt　by　them。　He　had　shot　at　and　wounded　one；　was　charged　both　by
it　and　by　its　two　companions；　and　started　to　climb　a　tree；　but　as　he
drew　himself　from　the　ground；　one　sprang　at　him　and　bit　him　through
the　calf；　inflicting　a　very　severe　wound。　I　have　known　of　several
cases　of　horses　being　cut；　however；　and　the　dogs　are　very　commonly
killed。　Indeed；　a　dog　new　to　the　business　is　almost　certain　to　get
very　badly　scarred；　and　no　dog　that　hunts　steadily　can　escape　without
some　injury。　If　it　runs　in　right　at　the　heads　of　the　animals；　the
probabilities　are　that　it　will　get　killed；　and；　as　a　rule；　even　two
good…sized　hounds　cannot　kill　a　peccary；　though　it　is　no　larger　than
either　of　them。　However；　a　wary；　resolute；　hard…biting　dog　of　good
size　speedily　gets　accustomed　to　the　chase；　and　can　kill　a　peccary
single…handed；　seizing　it　from　behind　and　worrying　it　to　death；　or
watching　its　chance　and　grabbing　it　by　the　back　of　the　neck　where　it
joins　the　head。

Peccaries　have　delicately　moulded　short　legs；　and　their　feet　are
small；　the　tracks　looking　peculiarly　dainty　in　consequence。　Hence；
they　do　not　swim　well；　though　they　take　to　the　water　if　necessary。
They　feed　on　roots；　prickly　pears；　nuts；　insects；　lizards；　etc。　They
usually　keep　entirely　separate　from　the　droves　of　half…wild　swine　that
are　so　often　found　in　the　same　neighborhoods；　but　in　one　case；　on　this
very　ranch　where　I　was　staying　a　peccary　deliberately　joined　a　party
of　nine　pigs　and　associated　with　them。　When　the　owner　of　the　pigs　came
up　to　them　one　day　the　peccary　manifested　great　suspicion　at　his
presence；　and　finally　sidled　close　up　and　threatened　to　attack　him；　so
that　he　had　to　shoot　it。　The　ranchman's　son　told　me　that　he　had　never
but　once　had　a　peccary　assail　him　unprovoked；　and　even　in　this　case　it
was　his　dog　that　was　the　object　of　attack；　the　peccary　rushing　out　at
it　as　it　followed　him　home　one　evening　through　the　chaparral。　Even
around　this　ranch　the　peccaries　had　very　greatly　decreased　in　numbers；
and　the　survivors　were　learning　some　caution。　In　the　old　days　it　had
been　no　uncommon　thing　for　a　big　band　to　attack　entirely　of　their　own
accord；　and　keep　a　hunter　up　a　tree　for　hours　at　a　time。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VII。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　HUNTING　WITH　HOUNDS。

In　hunting　American　big　game　with　hounds；　several　entirely　distinct
methods　are　pursued。　The　true　wilderness　hunters；　the　men　who　in　the
early　days　lived　alone　in；　or　moved　in　parties　through；　the　Indian…
haunted　solitudes；　like　their　successors　of　to…day；　rarely　made　use　of
a　pack　of　hounds；　and；　as　a　rule；　did　not　use　dogs　at　all。　In　the
eastern　forests　occasionally　an　old　time　hunter　would　own　one　or　two
track…hounds；　slow；　with　a　good　nose；　intelligent　and　obedient；　of　use
mainly　in　following　wounded　game。　Some　Rocky　Mountain　hunters　nowadays
employ　the　same　kind　of　a　dog；　but　the　old　time　trappers　of　the　great
plains　and　the　Rockies　led　such　wandering　lives　of　peril　and　hardship
that　they　could　not　readily　take　dogs　with　them。　The　hunters　of　the
Alleghanies　and　the　Adirondacks　have；　however；　always　used　hounds　to
drive　deer；　killing　the　animal　in　the　water　or　at　a　runaway。

As　soon；　however；　as　the　old　wilderness　hunter　type　passes　away；
hounds　come　into　use　among　his　successors；　the　rough　border　settlers
of　the　backwoods　and　the　plains。　Every　such　settler　is　apt　to　have
four　or　five　large　mongrel　dogs　with　hound　blood　in　them；　which　serve
to　drive　off　beasts　of　prey　from　the　sheepfold　and　cattle…shed；　and
are　also　used；　when　the　occasion　suits；　in　regular　hunting；　whether
after　bear　or　deer。

Many　of　the　southern　planters　have　always　kept